From Compliance to Performance: Reforming EU Public Procurement

Conference Details

Date: 19 March 2026

Time: 15:30

Duration: 1 hour and 45 minutes

Location: Brussels, Belgium

Cost: Free, registration needed

Organiser: CEPS - Centre for European Policy Studies

Conference Website

Conference Description

Public procurement is one of the EU’s most powerful levers for delivering value for money, building resilient supply chains and supporting the green and digital transitions, and it represents around 15 % of the EU’s GDP. Yet evidence suggests weakening competition across the single market. The European Court of Auditors has found that the average number of bidders per procedure fell from 5.7 to 3.2 between 2011-2021, alongside persistent patterns of single-bidder outcomes and limited cross-border participation.

This comes at a pivotal moment for reform. The European Commission is expected to bring a legislative proposal for a Public Procurement Act in Q2 2026. It aims to address recurring weaknesses – complexity and legal uncertainty, uneven capacity across contracting authorities, fragmented and non-interoperable e-procurement systems and data gaps that hinder monitoring and accountability. The proposal also intends to reflect new political expectations on sustainability, resilience and economic security, including the debate on ‘Made in Europe’ criteria for strategic sectors.

Jointly organised by CEPS and KPMG, this seminar will focus on how procurement culture can shift from compliance to performance – simplifying procedures, improving data and monitoring, professionalising procurement practices and enabling strategic objectives – without sliding into protectionism or fragmenting the single market. Drawing on practical lessons from various EU Member States, the discussion will identify actionable legislative and non-legislative priorities.